The present application relates to a display apparatus, a display-apparatus control method and a display-apparatus control program. More particularly, the present application relates to a display apparatus making its upper-level application or the like capable of easily handling information on a plurality of points on its panel receiving inputs from typically an external input generator, a display-apparatus control method for controlling the apparatus and a display-apparatus control program implementing the method. In the following description, information on such points is also referred to as point information.
There has been proposed a panel capable of outputting point information for a plurality of points on the panel. Such a panel is implemented by optical sensors embedded in a liquid-crystal display apparatus. Each of the optical sensors is capable of detecting a light beam radiated by an external light generator to the panel and outputting point information according to the light beam. In this way, the panel functions as a panel capable of receiving an optical input from an external light generator. The panel, which is capable of receiving an optical input and outputting point information, is referred to as an input/output panel. For details of such an input/output panel, the reader is suggested to refer to Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2000-019478 and/or Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2004-127272.
Methods adopted by the input/output panel to detect an optical input are classified into two large categories. The first category includes methods each making use of a light beam generated by a body having an external light source such as an LED (Light Emitting Device). On the other hand, the second category includes methods each making use of a light beam generated by a liquid-crystal display apparatus. In accordance with each of the methods pertaining to the first category, the user operates the body such as a light generating pen on the input/output panel. In accordance with each of the methods pertaining to the second category, on the other hand, the user carries out an input operation on the input/output panel by making use of a body having no external light source. Examples of such a body are a finger or a pen not generating a light beam. When the user carries out an input operation on the input/output panel by making use of a body having no external light source, a light beam generated by the liquid-crystal display apparatus is reflected by the body approaching the input/output panel employed by the liquid-crystal display apparatus as a display screen and radiated back by the body to the inside of the liquid-crystal display apparatus to be detected therein by an optical sensor. Typically, the light beam generated by the liquid-crystal display apparatus is a light beam transmitted by a backlight employed in the liquid-crystal display apparatus.
In addition, in the case of a touch panel of an electrostatic or pressure-sensitive type, when an input is supplied from an external input provider to a point on the touch panel, information on the point is generated for the input. Typically, the information on a point on the touch panel is the coordinates of the point on the touch panel. In addition, only a piece of such information can be generated for a touched point on the touch panel.
For example, when the user touches the vicinity of two adjacent points on the touch panel, a piece of information on only one of the points is generated. Typically, such point information is generated for the point experiencing a stronger pressure or the point touched earlier.
On the other hand, the input/output panel is capable of outputting different values of point information for each point on the panel. In addition, it is expected that the input/output panel can be used in the same applications as the conventional touch panel in the future. For example, it is expected that the input/output panel can be applied to the same products as the conventional touch panel in the future.
It is to be noted that, as a technology for handling a plurality of inputs, there has been proposed a technology for a robot for processing recognition results, which are produced by a plurality of recognition sections each configured to recognize an environment, by making use of an STM (Short Term Memory). For details of the proposed technology, the reader is suggested to refer to International disclosure pamphlet No. 03/035334.